ODEP - Office of Disability Employment Policy

Disability Employment Policy Resources by Topic

Choose a Disability Employment Policy Resource by Topic

The Workforce System

ODEP works to ensure meaningful access to employment and training programs and services for people with disabilities through public systems as well as private organizations and employers. Recognizing the need for a national policy to promote a more inclusive workforce, ODEP works collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders to promote capacity building and systematic changes that increase the employment and economic status of youth, adults and mature individuals with disabilities. This collaborative work promotes the development of policy based on validated practices to promote a workforce system that is highly coordinated, broadly effective for the widest possible range of career-seeking customers, and a meaningful source of diverse human resource talent for businesses.

As part of these efforts, ODEP works closely with DOL's workforce development system, funded by the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and delivered through the nationwide network of One-Stop Career Centers. Also called American Job Centers, these are community centers that provide employment, education and training services all in one place, offering a wealth of information and assistance for job seekers and employers. The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), which became effective July 1, 2000, established the One-Stop Career Center system.

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has established a WIOA Resource Page to provide information and resources for States, local areas, non-profits and other grantees, and other stakeholders to assist with implementing the Act. It contains information about and links to proposed rules, guidance, frequently asked questions, and other technical assistance materials. The page will be updated with new guidance and technical assistance materials as they become available.

The ODEP-funded LEAD Center has developed several technical assistance products focused on implications within WIOA for individuals with disabilities.

LEAD Center Policy Brief: Summary of Major Policies Included in Titles I and IV of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

Training and Employment Notice No. 01-15: Promising Practices In Achieving Universal Access And Equal Opportunity: A Section 188 Disability Reference Guide  This Training and Employment Notice (TEN), signed by three DOL Assistant Secretaries, introduced the WIOA Section 188 Disability Reference Guide to all state workforce liaisons, state workforce agency administrators, One-Stop Centers, state workforce agencies, state EO officers, state and local workforce board chairs and directors, and state labor commissioners, asking them to distribute the TEN and the Reference Guide to appropriate staff. The Reference Guide does not create any new legal requirements or change current legal requirements. Rather, it provides DOL’s Civil Rights Center a uniform procedure for measuring compliance with those provisions of Section 188 and the implementing regulations that pertain to persons with disabilities.

America's Service Locator  Provides locations for American Job Centers across the nation. Information is also available by calling (toll-free) 1-877-US2-JOBS (1-877-872-5627) or 1-877-TTY-JOBS (1-877-887-5627) (TTY).

Using Braided Funding Strategies to Advance Employer Hiring Initiatives that Include People with Disabilities  The NTAR Leadership Center published this report to help local policymakers and administrators better understand the relationship between model programs for hiring people with disabilities and braided funding strategies. This report profiles four employer-responsive models that have gained increasing national attention. Braiding funding, for purposes of this report, means the access to and coordination of multiple sources of funding to provide services and supports needed by people with disabilities to obtain and retain a job."

National Center on Workforce & Disability/Adult  The National Center on Workforce and Disability/Adult (NCWD/A) was a national training provider for the One-Stop system through ODEP from 2002-2007. It provides training, technical assistance, policy analysis and information to improve access for all in the workforce development system. Publications include: